Hello everyone! Heyo! Welcome back to Scattering Flowers with Elise and Miles, a podcast where you read the daily gospels and the saint of the day.
Let’s get started! Today is Friday, July 4th.
Happy Independence Day! And the gospel reading is Matthew 9, 9 through 13.
And the scripture to reflect on is Matthew 9, 9.
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office.
And he said to him, follow me.
And he rose and followed him.
Matthew knew that nothing is as important as following Jesus.
Jesus is the most important thing.
No matter what we’re doing, Jesus always knew that Matthew and his friends could change and be better.
Jesus knows that we can always do more than we can think. Today’s saint of the day, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal.
She was born in the year 1271 and died July 4th, 1336.
She is the patron saint of brides and victims of adultery.
Saint Elizabeth, also known as Isabel, was born in Spain and was the daughter of King Pedro III of Aragon.
She was named after her great aunt, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.
At the age of 12, she married King Dennis of Portugal, who had many other wives.
And she forced Elizabeth to raise all of his children, even the ones from other women.
Elizabeth chose to trust God and lovingly cared for all of Dennis’s children.
She was a strong queen who put her faith into action, building confidence hospitals and shelters.
She said, God made me queen so I may serve others.
She’s also called the angel of peace because she negotiated peace and settled many country disputes.
Saint Elizabeth is known for working for peace until her death.
Jesus can change you and make you be great for him.
No matter what other people think about you, he can use you to do great and important things for him.
Just like he used Matthew to do important things like being one of his disciples and writing a book of the Bible.
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal kept herself busy with prayer and good works.
Even though she was living in the middle of a difficult life, she once wrote on womb, but God can I lean.
Her life shows us how we can rely on God when we feel sad so we can find peace in Jesus.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, thank you that you forgive us and give us other chances.
Help us to put you first in everything that we do.
And help us to find peace and to depend on you, even when life may be sad or difficult.
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, pray for us.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Thank you so much for listening.
We’ll be back next week scattering more flowers.
See ya!